What does a zoologist actually do all year?

A zoologist's work changes with the seasons – and involves a lot more than animals. In this activity you'll hear from a researcher whose year includes fieldwork, teaching, urban wildlife studies, and a surprising subject she says helped her most.

This activity is designed to be flexible and can be used as follows:

  • During a lesson - 35 minutes. Students work in pairs and then share their reflections with the rest of the class.
  • During tutor time - 25 minutes. Students watch the video independently and then discuss one of the topics together.
  • As homework - Students watch the video on their own and complete the reflection at their own pace.

This activity supports the following frameworks:

  • Gatsby Benchmark 5
  • PSHE Association KS3 codes L11, L12
  • PSHE Association KS4 codes L8

1. Before you start

Take a moment to think about the following question:

  • If you worked with animals, what do you imagine your day would look like? How much of it do you think would actually be spent with animals?

If you're working with a partner or team, share and compare your thoughts before continuing.

2. Watch the video

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Joanna Bagniewska - Zoologist

Joanna is a zoologist at Oxford University. Her work follows the seasons - fieldwork with students in summer, bird watching in winter, teaching and research year-round. She studies everything from hedgehogs and insects to how wildlife can thrive in urban spaces like school grounds.

While watching the video, listen for the following:

  • How does the time of year change what Joanna does - and why?
  • What surprised Joanna about studying biology at university compared to what she expected?

3. Reflect and discuss

First, add a personal reflection based on the following:

  • What is one thing about Joanna's working life that was different from what you'd expect a zoologist to do?

Next, think about the following and discuss with your partner or group:

  • Joanna's year is shaped by the seasons - she can't study insects in winter or watch birds easily in summer. Can you think of other jobs where the natural world dictates what you do and when? How is that different from a job with a fixed routine?
  • Joanna researches how school grounds can support wildlife in cities - green islands for birds and insects in grey urban areas. What does that tell you about the kinds of questions a zoologist might work on? Is that what you'd have expected?
  • Joanna says the subject that helped her most in her career was history, not biology - because her history teacher taught her to question where information comes from and whether it's reliable. Have you ever learned something useful in an unexpected place? Why do you think that happens?